Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Time For a Tremendous Amtrak
The Acela's Back. Now Let's Fix The Rest of the Railway.

By David M. Fine

America has a national passenger train system, but it's hardly the space-age, comfortable, sleek and romantic one that you would expect to board in the year 2005, in such an advanced nation as ours - especially since it is the Nation that funds much of the railroad: Again this year, it looks like Congress will give Amtrak another $1.2 billion, most of which will go to the shorter-distance routes which carry the most passengers.

It's good that Congress will keep Amtrak rolling, but America can afford to transform Amtrak into a 21st Century system of super-trains that are futuristic and intriguing, and a competitive alternative to airplanes and cars all across the country.

Amtrak's continued existence has been in question every year since I first investigated its chances of survival in a story for Salon six years ago. Therein I opined that, "It's clear that the long-distance train, as a competitive mode of transport, is an anachronism." It appeared so when one looked at the meager number of passengers taking Amtrak's long distance services.

Today, after having taken three of Amtrak's long distance services all over the United States in the past year alone (The Texas Eagle, California Zephyr, and , The Southwest Chief) I would alter that: it's clear that Amtrak's train cars are an anachronism, but long distance train service definitely has its place.

As does Amtrak.

What Amtrak needs is enough money so that it can make all of its trains look as cool as its relatively new flagship high speed train, the Acela. Just as Toyota is making some of its hybrid cars look futuristic, so does Amtrak need some space-age looking 21st Century trains with modern interiors and greatly improved amenities to spark a revival of the romance of train travel. Ironically, when advertisers want to evoke modernity, they often show us sleek, aerodynamic European high speed trains - yet they've just recently become a novelty for New Englanders in America. Are we not modern?

Amtrak's executives don't appear to be thinking "futuristic, modern, cool, sexy, and romantic." Their recent "Strategic Reform Initiatives" report is a real snoozer. "Management Controls" is one of the main topics, obviously something they think boring Congressional bureaucratic penny-pinchers want to hear. They should have asked a passenger to weigh in: What about the fact that they're still running a dumpy fleet that's 30 years old and that the rides are often bumpy, jerky, and slow? That should be how the document begins, if Amtrak executives want to get the kind of money they need from Washington to end this yearly begging routine and get America some truly American passenger rail.

Though the Bush Administration recommended zero dollars for Amtrak in 2006, The House just voted to give Amtrak nearly what it got last year: $1.2 billion, enough to service its debt ($280 million), make some improvements, and subsidize it's money-losing routes. The House wants most of the money to go to improving the more popular shorter and high speed routes.

This skimping on Amtrak is unnecessary. If Congress gave Amtrak something more like $5 billion each year for three years, and twisted some arms at the state level and in the freight industry, Amtrak could bring all of its tracks and trains into the 21st Century and pay off its $3.8 billion in debt - and then Amtrak could be nearly self-supporting.

It sounds like a lot of money, but America can easily afford it. We can raise the money by increasing the federal gasoline tax about 6 cents per gallon. Just six cents. Today's average U.S. gas price of $2.32 per gallon is up 10 cents from a week ago, and 41 cents from last year! Surely we can stomach a six cent increase, especially since those prices will most likely come down with summer's end and a production glut. Congress should levy the tax right after the price dips below $2 per gallon.

After three or four years, Congress could reduce the tax to a penny or half a penny, to give Amtrak a small subsidy cushion.

There are other good reasons for making a big investment in Amtrak: in these days of increasing energy prices and terrorist threats, America needs both short and long-distance train service as an alternate travel option. But futuristic, sleek, comfortable, and faster service - even a speed increase of 10 miles per hour on some routes would make a big difference - will also entice many more customers on its merits: trains provide scenery, more legroom, less anxiety, the ability to stretch and walk about and meet fellow travelers, and an overall smoother experience than air travel.

The Acela high-speed trains were meant to reinvigorate Amtrak, make it modern, and help it make some money. The company invested millions to electrify track from New York to Boston in order to extend its high speed service into New England, but in the end the Acela service couldn't even run at its 150 mile-per-hour top speed much of the way due to track regulations. The service, which hoped to generate extra revenue to cover other money-losing routes, just broke even.

The Acela has just begun serving the New York-D.C. route again, and its return is a good sign. But if track speed limits get in the way, Amtrak needs help from Congress to squash them, so that Amtrak can run its trains at higher speeds, and provide competitive service.

I enjoy taking the train - and yet trips on Amtrak's older fleet can be uncomfortable and unsavory. Today, on many of the older, long distance trains, Amtrak interiors are often soiled and old, the windows dirty, the bathrooms small and sometimes filthy, the café cars dreary, and the café offerings and amenities lacking. The ride is often frustratingly slow, bumpy and jerky.

To be fair, the fares are reasonable, there's excellent legroom, and the double-decker trains have the elevated Skylight Car with huge windows - but the overall feel of the train experience is that the cars are a throwback to the 1970s.

Meanwhile the newer Acela is modern, clean, and fast. It's a magnificent train, though its look is somewhat simple. A fleet of Acelas would be a huge improvement. However, Amtrak, if it ever gets real money, might want to experiment with a new look, both outside and inside, that's boldly futuristic, as certain car makers are beginning to do.

If America is going to have a national passenger train service, then it should be one of the best in the world. The Senate will consider Amtrak funding soon. Hopefully the Senate will be visionary and propose this 3-year, $15 billion plan to bring America's passenger trains into the 21st Century.

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Related Links

Amtrak's website

Acela Photo Credit: Johnny Knoxville's Acela Page